Homeless figures rise in Germany but government plays down fears

The number of people registered as homeless in Germany rose sharply to around 532,000 last year, a government report said on Wednesday.

In 2022, the figure was around 263,000. But around 137,000 Ukrainians who have come to Germany since Russia’s invasion count towards the homeless figures as they are still in temporary accommodation.

The government report said the statistics could also be deceptive because many facilities and accommodation for the homeless were closed in 2022 due to the coronavirus restrictions.

By far the majority of those listed as homeless last year were housed in state-run accommodation or with relatives and friends.
A minority of homeless people live on the streets and of these, the vast majority have German citizenship.